Mercedes are set to make the most of an skilled Formulation 1 driver shedding their race seat.
Valtteri Bottas has been axed from his Sauber drive subsequent season and has nowhere else to go to maintain his racing profession alive.
A reunion with former workforce Mercedes in a reserve driver position is on the playing cards.
“Nothing is signed, nothing is finished,” Mercedes workforce principal Toto Wolff mentioned to Viaplay in Las Vegas.
“But when we have been to have him again within the household, we’d be all filled with pleasure.
“What you’ll be able to say is that you probably have the chance of getting a pilot like Valtteri again within the Mercedes household, together with his potential, together with his most up-to-date expertise of those trendy automobiles, you’ll be able to deem your self tremendous fortunate.”
Wolff was requested in regards to the chance of agreeing a contract to deliver Bottas again.
“It is a matter of time,” he admitted.
Bottas and Sauber teammate Guanyu Zhou haven’t scored a degree all season as they battle with the worst automobile in Formulation 1.
On the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Zhou was thirteenth and Bottas 18th.
Sauber will evolve into Audi in 2026 and, with a watch on the longer term, will area a new-look driver combo subsequent season.
They’ve signed Nico Hulkenberg from Haas and Formulation 2 driver Gabriel Bortoleto from McLaren.
Bottas and Zhou have nowhere to show, consequently, however Mercedes can provide their former driver an opportunity to maintain a foot within the door.
Equally, Mercedes snapped up Mick Schumacher as a reserve driver when he misplaced his F1 race seat.
Bottas will return to a renewed Mercedes in 2025 the place former teammate Lewis Hamilton will now not be current. Hamilton will go to Ferrari leaving George Russell and Kimi Antonelli as Mercedes’ drivers.
Bottas received 10 grands prix with Mercedes.